An Unholy Alliance
by OldSchool101
Summary: AU: An improbable encounter between a young Toph Bei Fong and Princess Azula leads to questions that neither girl seems to have an answer for.
1. Year One: Prodigies

Having grown tired of listening to all the nobles' daughters tell her how great she is (even _praise_ could get old when people didn't know when to stop talking), Azula broke away from their little pack and stepped out onto the school grounds. This was where most girls in the academy gathered for recess - or so she'd heard, at least. This was actually her first time venturing out onto the grounds for anything other than their daily class training exercises. The value of this "recess" concept was lost on Azula. She hadn't come to the Royal Fire Academy for Girls to play or socialize or participate in any other frivolous activity; she was here to become an elite warrior of the Fire Nation - something that no amount of hopscotch or childish gossip could help her accomplish.

It didn't take Azula long to notice the school's newest student - an arrogant little brat from the Earth Kingdom - sitting barefoot in the grass without a care in the world. She wasn't difficult to spot; the girl stuck out of a crowd like a burnt thumb. There she was, lounging around, _picking at her toes_ (Azula couldn't help but gag at that) as if nothing else around her existed. Her first day was an auspicious one (seemed like just yesterday - in fact, it _was_ yesterday...huh, how about that): the Headmistress introduced her as a young earthbender from the colonies, much to everyone's chagrin. To allow an _earthbender _of all people into the academy was unheard of - an absolute mockery of everything the school stood for! But somehow, the girl's acceptance was announced by decree of the Fire Lord himself, and no one dared question her father's will.

Nevertheless, some of her classmates had made it their mission to make life miserable for the little savage, but the girl put a quick end to that after what she did to Ty Lee's sister, Ty Lin. Poor skank might never be the same. Not that Azula cared; the snobby bitch had it coming to her. 'Oh, I'm so pretty, and popular, and one day my daddy is going to marry me off to some handsome, wealthy nobleman, and I'll be the perfect housewife and have lots of babies and blah blah blah, etcetra.' Azula was glad somebody finally shut that girl up. But Azula digressed. For some reason, this girl intrigued her - which was more than she could say for most of the mindless drones at this school. Against her better judgment, Azula approached the young earthbending prodigy, hoping (if nothing else) to find out what made the girl tick.

"Explain to me exactly how an uncivilized savage such as yourself gains enough favor with the Fire Lord to be accepted into one of the finest schools in the entire nation."

If the girl noticed Azula's presence at all, she didn't show it - opting to focus on her toes as if they were more fascinating than a one-sided Agni Kai.

"My, you're a blunt one, aren't ya?"

Azula frowned at the girl's response. "Yes, well, I've been told that subtlety isn't one of my strong points."

The girl actually cracked a smile at that - the only other time Azula had seen her do that had been at the expense of someone else's pain and suffering. But since the girl hadn't earthbent her into the nearest wall yet, Azula took the smile as a good sign.

"No kidding. Anyways, to answer your question... I dunno. My dad set this whole thing up. Said it'd be a "character building experience" or whatever. Screw that, I'd rather be cracking heads at this year's Earth Rumble than mingling with a bunch of uppity Fire Nation cheerleaders."

Earth Rumble? Azula made a face as she crossed her arms over her chest. This girl would rather be in some filthy Earth Kingdom arena, engaging in some pathetic excuse for a competition in the name of entertainment, than to be here at one of the most prestigious and respected training academies in the world? Do these people have no standards? By _Agni_, it's no wonder the Fire Nation was trying to take them over.

"Just who _is _your father, anyway?"

Satisfied that her toes were now thoroughly...picked...the girl lay back onto the grass, leisurely resting the back of her head on her palms. "Only the wealthiest man in the Earth Kingdom. Probably the world. Koh, I bet he could _buy _this school if he wanted to."

"You can't be serious..._You_ are the daughter of Lao Bei Fong?"

"The one and only."

"Hmm...didn't even know the Bei Fongs had a daughter."

"Yeah, he doesn't talk about me much. At least, he didn't until he found out I'm such an awesome earthbender. Apparently I'm already better than any teacher my dad can find, so I guess he sent me here to learn something I don't already know."

"Like _manners_, perhaps?"

"Pfft, I know all that fancy pants stuff already; just don't care for it."

"I can tell."

The girl laughed at that. And not one of those fake little 'Oh Princess Azula, how very funny you are, he he he' laughs, either. This one actually sounded genuine. Like Ty Lee's except less bubbly and annoying. Most people she talked to regularly would've gotten all huffy and offended over a comment like that; this girl just honestly didn't seem to care. It was...different. It wasn't until then that Azula noticed the girl's eyes - particularly the glassy look in them.

"Are you...blind?"

"As a badgermole."

"But how do you -"

"See? Easy, I can sense stuff through vibrations from the ground."

"And how effective could that possibly be?"

"Effective enough to see that ant crawling onto Miss Stretchy-Pants' hand over there."

Azula looked over to where the girl was pointing to see Ty Lee doing a handstand almost all the way across the schoolyard. Before she could say anything, Ty Lee yelps out in pain and flops down onto her back, clutching her hand after being bitten by a fire ant.

"Ow! Stupid ant."

"Impressive."

"Thanks."

Yes, this girl was very interesting indeed, Azula decided. Someone with her skills could come in handy one day. And the fact that she'd somehow managed to have a decent conversation with the girl without either of them getting completely irritated was a plus.

"Say, girl. What is your name?"

The girl picked herself up off the ground, dusting herself off as she did so.

"The name's Toph."

She then gave a customary _Earth Kingdom_ bow to Azula - Azula frowned slightly, but accepted that the girl would just have to learn the proper way to bow later on - when all of a sudden, the earthbender gave her a punch on the shoulder.

"Nice to meet ya, Princess."

Stunned by the fact that the brash, young blind girl had just _hit_ her, Azula could do nothing but stare as the 'lady' known as Toph Bei Fong casually strolled back into the school.

"Did...you just punch me? How dare you?! Come back here and face me this instant, you little brat!"

With that, the world's greatest firebending prodigy stormed into the school in pursuit of the world's greatest earthbending prodigy, leaving the rest of their classmates staring in confusion, unaware of the sheer magnitude of the meeting that had just transpired. They didn't know it yet, but all hell was about to break loose...and was likely to remain loose for a long, long time.


	2. Daughters

There were times when one's lineage could feel like a curse. At least, that's how it felt for young Riza. Riza's father was a trusted advisor to Fire Lord Ozai, as was her grandfather to Fire Lord Azulon, and her great-grandfather to Fire Lord Sozin. In fact, her family's good standing with the House of Agni was said to have gone back as far as five generations. So naturally, she had been encouraged - no, _expected_ to continue that tradition. She hadn't minded at first; after all, prince Zuko may have been a bit wimpy, but he was certainly cute. And just think - she could've been the first of her family to actually _marry_ into the Royal house! But as fate would have it, the prince went and got himself banished a few months ago, which left her having to buddy up to...Princess Azula.

Despite her best efforts, Riza found herself unable to break through the princess' cold, callous demeanor. Every time she'd try to talk with Azula, the girl blew her off to go play with Ty Lin's oddball sister and that quiet girl. Then again, that said a lot about the type of company the princess liked to keep. Aside from the fact that they were both _weird_, the one thing that Azula's two best friends seemed to have in common was that they were both complete pushovers. They went along with whatever Azula wanted to do, letting the princess treat them like her own personal playthings without a word of protest. It was quite pathetic, really. _'Of course I don't mind if you light my hair on fire, Princess Azula!' 'Oh it's okay, I'm sure you didn't **mean** to knock me out of that tree and break my arm in two places, Princess Azula!'_ Sweet merciless Agni, maybe it was best that Riza not befriend that sadist. Riza could be a lot of things, but a pushover was not one of them. She didn't care if Azula was the Fire Princess or the mortal incarnation of Agni himself, she would not be intimidated, no matter how -

"HEY!"

...That sounded like Azula. And she sounded angry. And it looked like she was coming this way.

Alright, so maybe Riza _would_ be intimidated by the princess. But unlike those other girls, she had an appropriate response: run, hide, and hope she wasn't the person Azula was looking for. Fortunately, it appeared that she wasn't, as Azula's marching came to a halt in front of that new girl - the one from the colonies. What was her name again, Touf?

"You've got some nerve!"

"Huh? What'd I do?"

To her credit (a credit to her stupidity, at least), the girl stood her ground as Azula glowered over her. This had the potential to get very ugly, which of course meant that Riza was going to stick around and watch with amusement.

"What do you mean, 'what'd I do'? You hit me, that's what you did!"

Riza blinked (possibly the first time she'd done that since the moment she'd seen the angry princess storm into the main hall - and had she not been holding her breath the whole time, she might've gasped too). This little girl had actually hit the princess? Did she have a death wish?

"...You're kidding, right?"

"You have no right to lay your hands on a member of the Royal family!"

"That was barely even a tap!"

"Well under normal circumstances, that 'tap' would constitute a challenge to an Agni Kai! But given your thoughtless and barbaric nature, you probably knew nothing of this, so I've decided to be lenient. Apologize, and I may consider letting this slide."

Riza found that particularly surprising. Azula wasn't known for her leniency. If the girl begged for forgiveness, maybe she -

"Uh...I'm sorry you're so anal?"

...Nope, she was definitely gonna die.

* * *

"_Excuse me_?"

"Well, you are! Seriously, do you have any idea what you sound like?" Toph rubbed her eyes with her fist as if she were wiping away tears._ "'Owwwww, you hit me! I'm telling!'_"

By now, a small crowd had gathered around the two, watching nervously while Azula glared at Toph as if she were suddenly going to bend fire out of her _eyes_.

"I sound nothing like that! Cut it out!"

"_'Headmistress! The little tiny blind girl is bullying meeeee! Make her stop!'_"

"I'm warning you...!"

"Awwww, am I making the poor, delicate little flower angry?"

Azula had finally heard enough, and intended to shut Toph up with a fire blast that just missed her head.

"Hey!"

"Not so funny now, is it?"

Toph dropped down to the floor to avoid another fire blast, then blocked a third one by literally _ripping_ a large square tile from the floor and using it as a shield. She then launched the tile at Azula, who blasted it into fragments of rock, some of which headed rapidly toward Riza's general direction.

"EEK!"

Riza decided that now was a good time to implement that 'run and hide' plan, so she scurried off to the nearest safe haven. Once Riza found sanctuary in the girls restroom (well technically, every restroom in the facility was the girl's restroom, being an all-girls' school and all, but anyway...), she peaked her head out of the doorway in hopes of seeing the rest of the fight. All of a sudden, she was yanked away from the door by the back of her shirt collar. Riza turned to find that quiet girl - Mie, was it? - staring at her.

"What do you think you're doing!?"

Just then, several large chunks of flooring and rock smashed hard against the door, causing Riza to jump in surprise.

"Saving your neck, it would seem."

Riza didn't have a response for that, but since this girl was here, she might as well put her to good use.

"Hey, you're one of Azula's friends, right?"

"Your point?"

"Why don't you go out there and calm her down? Like, I dunno, offer her some tea or something?"

"..."

Riza knew that look. It was that _'you really are that stupid, aren't you'_ look. Oh, how she hated that look.

"...If I had a death wish, I'd slit my wrists. It wouldn't be near as painful. Or as bloody."

Riza grimaced as the ground beneath her began to shake.

"Point taken."

* * *

"This is so lame!"

"It's absolutely absurd!"

"Seriously, _'time out'_? What is this, daycare?"

"What gives them the right to punish _me_? I am the crown princess of the Fire Nation!"

"It's not like we destroyed anything too valuable."

"No one was even _sitting_ at that desk when it caught fire!"

"They can just send my dad the bill for their stupid marble floor. This is pocket change!"

"And another thing......wait, what's so funny?"

Azula glared indignantly at Toph, who was seated in the opposite corner of the room, as the earthbender began to laugh.

"C'mon, just listen to us - we're whining like a couple of big babies! Boo hoo, we got in trouble. So what? I mean, if I had a gold piece for every time I've been told to sit in a corner and behave, I'd be - oh wait, I'm already rich. Huh. I guess I'd just be richer, then..."

"Maybe you're used to being a trouble maker, but I still have a reputation to uphold."

"Oh come on, you at least have to admit it was worth this slap on the wrist we got. I haven't had that much fun in years!"

Dodging slabs of rock aimed at her head was not exactly Azula's idea of fun, but she had learned a great deal about the earthbender's fighting style in a short time, so the experience was not entirely wasted.

"I suppose you have a point. Tell me, who taught you how to fight like that?"

If Toph were trying to hide the smug look on her face, she wasn't doing a very good job.

"Puh-leez, as if I'd ever need a teacher... I've been teaching myself to earthbend ever since I could walk."

"...Hm."

Toph raised an eyebrow at Azula's somewhat nonchalant response.

"Wait, that's all you have to say, is 'Hm'?"

"What, were you expecting shock? Awe? Disbelief? I figured from the way you fought that you'd never been formally trained. In fact, I'd be surprised if you said you had."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Your fighting style is unlike any I've ever seen, and I've studied many; after all, it's always wise to know your enemy's styles and tendencies. Most earthbenders I've seen preferred to strike first and fast. You, on the other hand, rely heavily on counterattacks and misdirection, waiting for your adversary to make a mistake and then capitalizing. I did recognize a few of your techniques, but for the most part, your fundamentals were off. It's likely that you picked them up from observation rather than actual training."

"...You got all that from two minutes of us hurling fire and rocks at each other?"

"Among other things, yes."

"So what else did you get?"

Azula leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms and legs as she did so.

"You're not really from the colonies, are you?"

Azula could tell Toph was caught off guard by that question. Perfect.

"Huh? What makes you say that?"

"The colonies may lie within the Earth Kingdom, but they are sole property of the Fire Nation, and are treated as such. Fire Nation law dictates that every child over the age of five undergoes frequent testing to determine their bending potential. Those discovered to be firebenders are sent to special training schools according to their age and level of advancement. As for earthbenders...well, since it is not uncommon for citizens of the colonies to sometimes mingle with the natives, it is understood that certain...indiscretions may occur, and those are dealt with accordingly.

"So what are you saying? If the Fire Nation had found out I was an earthbender living in the colonies, they would've shipped me off to some military training school?"

"No. I'm saying they would've killed you."

"...Oh."

"Earthbenders are this nation's greatest enemy, Toph. They are stubborn and set in their ways. They, like every other citizen of the Earth Kingdom, oppose the natural progression of the human race just as aggressively as they oppose the Fire Nation's armies. For these reasons, it is understood that earthbenders cannot be trusted."

Azula waited silently for Toph's response. The young girl stared at the ground with a conflicted look on her face.

"I'm not like them."

Not the response Azula had expected, but it certainly struck her curiosity.

"You are an earthbender, Toph. What makes you so special?"

"I told you, I'm not like them! The Earth Kingdom is full of good-for-nothing thugs. As far as I'm concerned, the Earth Kingdom deserves to lose this war."

Azula stared at the earthbending prodigy in fascination. The girl suddenly looked jaded and bitter, almost vengeful. Her suspicions were all but confirmed; Toph must've lived in the Earth Kingdom at some point, and now Azula was convinced that whatever made her leave was the same thing that was making her feel this way now. The only question was: what?

"I'm nothing like them, Azula. And I'll prove it."

Azula smiled and nodded with approval.

"Good."

Azula decided there was no use in riling Toph up any further, and let the conversation drop. There would be plenty of time to get some real answers from her, but in the meantime, there was someone else she was going to have a talk with: her father.


	3. Fathers

Azula frowned as she approached the throne room. The royal guards were already posted outside the entrance, which meant that her father was meeting with someone...which also meant that he was not to be disturbed during this time, barring any urgent situations that required his immediate attention. And since she had no such situation to speak of, she was going to have to wait.

Azula hated waiting.

Not to say Azula was impatient; she wasn't. She prided herself on being composed and well disciplined, and maintaining that composure and discipline at all times. Part of that meant knowing how to bide one's time and wait for the most opportune moment to act. Unlike some members of her family who would not be named, (like Zuko) she understood that there was an appropriate time and place for everything.

But that didn't mean she had to like it.

Fortunately, Azula's patience would not be tested for long. One of her father's advisors stormed out of the room, red-faced and scowling. In regards to her father's disposition following a meeting, this was rarely a good sign. Still, she never passed up an opportunity to kick someone when down.

"Councilman Azir. Good evening. I take it your meeting with my father went well?"

Azula smirked sweetly - a look that only Azula seemed capable of pulling off - at the glaring look the councilman sent her.

"The meeting went just fine, Princess Azula."

"Splendid." Azula considered prodding him for details, but the councilman didn't appear to be in a talkative mood at the moment. Besides, she had her own business to attend to. "Now, if you'll excuse me..."

Azir stepped aside and bowed as Azula walked past. "Of course, Princess."

Azula repressed a snicker as she turned to watch the still-fuming councilman depart. Her father tended to have that effect on people. After all, Fire Lord Ozai was never a strong believer in the concept of tact. That one particular debacle with Fire Lord Azulon immediately came to mind... _"Oh hey dad, sorry your grandson just died, canIbeFirelordnow?"_ ...Yes, that hadn't gone over very well, as she recalled. Repressing yet another snicker (a meeting with the Fire Lord would be a bad time to come down with a case of the giggles), Azula entered the throne room.

* * *

_To those who knew Toph Bei Fong well, it would come as a surprise to learn that there were times when she envied the sighted. But it wasn't because the sighted could see – no, her earthbending gave her the ability to 'see' the world in ways that most people could never even imagine. Toph envied the sighted because, unlike her, they could control what they see. In Toph's world, where every minuscule vibration in the earth was like the opening to a window that wouldn't quite shut, that luxury was not always available to her._

_So when Toph found herself standing only a few dozen feet away from a man being crushed to death, a simple closing of her eyes and covering of her ears were not enough to shield her from every vivid, gruesome detail. As hard as she tried to forget, she could still feel every bone in the man's body crack and shatter with every impact as a large stone statue repeatedly slammed into his back. Again. And again. She could sense the frantic beating of his heart grow steadily weaker. The blood filling the man's lungs was all that could silence the strangled cries - and Toph knew this, of course, because she could see that too._

_No young girl should have to witness a murder. But Toph felt as if she hadn't just witnessed a murder, she'd experienced it. At that moment, Toph didn't want to be blind. She didn't want to be an earthbender. She didn't want to "see" what others couldn't. She just wanted to shut her eyes and make it stop._

_And so she did._

* * *

Toph sat up from her bed with a startled yelp, her hair and clothes damp from an all-too-familiar cold sweat. She sat there, silently, for a moment, staring off into space. As if she could actually 'see' space. If not for her state of distress, Toph might've pondered what exactly it is that people see in space when they stare off into it.

Whatever the case, Toph was brought out of her daze when her bedroom door opened. "Toph," she heard her father call out, worry evident in his voice. "What's wrong? I heard you screaming."

Toph frowned. She had hoped that she'd grown out of that 'screaming in her sleep' thing. Darn. "I wasn't screaming, I just – I...saw a bug." Toph grimaced inwardly at her poor excuse for a lie as soon as she said it, hoping it didn't come off quite as lame and pitiful (not to mention implausible, considering she wouldn't have technically "seen" the bug anyway) as it sounded to her.

Her father's sigh indicated that, yeah, it probably did. "Toph..."

"Okay, I had a bad dream. It's over now. I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

The room was silent for a moment, and Toph, unable to see from her bed, wondered if her father had left already. But of course, he hadn't.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about-"

"Yes, I'm sure. Good night."

Lao Bei Fong heaved another sigh and reluctantly exited, shutting the door behind him. Toph flopped back down onto her bed, continuing to stare off into space. Absentmindedly, she wondered what the big deal was about space that made people want to stare into it, resigning herself to the fact that she wouldn't be getting any more sleep tonight.

* * *

"Good evening, Father." Azula greeted as she knelt before her father's throne.

Fire Lord Ozai, shrouded in shadows despite the flames that surrounded him (Azula always wondered how that worked), didn't bother with formalities. "You wished to see me, Azula?"

Azula nodded. "Yes father. I wanted to talk to you about the earthbender who was recently admitted into the academy."

Ozai leaned back in his throne. "Ah yes, the Bei Fong girl. From what I've heard, she left _quite_ the first impression on you."

Caught slightly off guard, Azula glanced up at her father. His expression was stoic, but Azula could have sworn that she detected a hint of humor in his voice. If she didn't know better, Azula might've thought her father had actually cracked a joke.

"Oh, so you've heard about that..." Azula mentally berated herself for being surprised at that. Of course he'd heard. The Fire Lord has eyes and ears everywhere. Nothing in the Fire Nation goes by without him hearing about it from someone. "I suppose you could say that. To be honest though, I couldn't help but be curious when it was announced that the girl had been admitted by decree of the Fire Lord."

Again, her father's face betrayed nothing. "Curious? How so?"

Azula knew to choose her words carefully. Her father had evidently made a judgment call in admitting the Bei Fong's daughter into the academy, and Toph's questionable citizenship aside, it simply was not wise to question the Fire Lord's judgment.

"Well, as you know, the Royal Fire Academy for Girls is one of the two most prestigious schools in our nation, normally reserved for those of royal and noble blood. It is somewhat unusual for someone of Toph Bei Fong's...background...to be admitted there."

"So, I suppose you would say her enrollment conflicts with the school's 'tradition', hm?"

"Yes, father."

Ozai chuckled. Bad things tended to happen whenever her father chuckled. Azula wondered briefly if she would be worried. "Allow me to enlighten you, daughter. _Tradition_ is overrated. _Tradition_ is followed only by those who were born to follow. For those of us who were born to _lead_, we make our own traditions Tell me, was it not _tradition_ which decreed that the eldest son of the Fire Lord be the one to inherit the throne?"

"Yes, father."

"And did I follow that tradition?"

"No, father."

"Do you intend to follow that tradition?"

"No, father."

"And why is that, Azula?"

"Because power belongs to the strongest and most capable. Power belongs to those who will it. Power belongs-"

"-to those who have earned it," Ozai recited with his daughter. "Indeed. You see, I believe that people deserve to be rewarded based on their merit, not their birthright."

"As do I, father."

Ozai nodded. "The Bei Fong family has been of great service to our nation for years, and will prove to be an even greater service once Lao Bei Fong becomes a member of my war council."

Azula certainly hadn't been expecting _that_. "Your war council? But father-"

"Remember to whom power belongs, Azula. Lao Bei Fong has earned his place in this war. And mark my words, the Bei Fong family will play a large part in seeing to the war's end."

"I understand, father."

"Good." Azula bowed and stood to leave, but not before Ozai stopped her. "Oh, and Azula? That little altercation you had at the academy? I trust that I won't be hearing about any more of those in the future."

Azula knew that last bit was not in the form of a question. "Yes, father."

* * *

Poppy Bei Fong stepped out onto the balcony of her bedroom, where she found her husband, staring out into the capital city of the nation they now called 'home'. Lao peered over his shoulder with a faint smile.

"Forgive me, is the draft bothering you, dear?"

Poppy laughed. "Don't be silly! It feels wonderful out here. I imagine always does."

With a sigh, Lao leaned over against the railing. "Do you think it was a mistake? Coming here?"

"I've told you enough times that I trust your judgment." Poppy walked over to her husband's side. "You still trust it too, don't you?"

"I don't know anymore. We came here for peace of mind. For our family. For our daughter. But I'm not sure we're going to find it here."

"It's only been a few days, Lao. You haven't even given it a week yet."

"Toph had another nightmare. This is the third night in a row. Before now, it had been over a year since she last had them..."

"It's been over a year since we last moved, as well. It takes her some time to adjust to a new environment. I'm sure once she settles in, it will all be fine."

Lao wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders and pulled her close to him. "Sometimes I wish the spirits had blessed me with your optimism."

Leaning into his embrace, Poppy shrugged. "Close enough; they blessed you with _me_, didn't they?"

Lao laughed. "That they did."

* * *

Councilman Azir couldn't understand it. Of all the qualified citizens of the Fire Nation...why would the Fire Lord give one of his highest advisory positions to a businessman from the colonies? What did Lao Bei Fong even know about war? He was a merchant, for Agni's sake! Granted, he was a very wealthy and successful merchant, but that hardly made him qualified.

Azir had gone through an entire bookshelf of political archives from his personal library, and not one mention of the Bei Fong family had he come across. Something simply was not adding up.

Only problem was, further inquiry would no doubt draw the ire of the Fire Lord, who had personally vouched for Bei Fong's credentials. It was simply not a wise political move to question the Fire Lord's judgment. If only there were a way to get some information on the Bei Fong family...preferably information as close to the source as...wait.

Azir placed his reading glasses next to a large pile of scrolls on his desk and made his way upstairs.

"Riza. Riza, wake up!" He yelled, knocking on his daughters door until she answered.

Finally she did, half-yawning. "Whaaaaaaat?"

"The Bei Fong's daughter, she goes to your school, right?" Azir asked as he opened the door.

Riza rubbed her eyes. "Yes. Unfortunately."

"Maybe not so unfortunate...Riza, I believe I have a task for you."

"Can it wait till morning?"

"...Yes. But I expect you up bright and early! This is important!"

Riza groaned. Her father's tasks were never simple. And if this one was going to involve that Bei Fong girl, she just knew it wasn't going to be easy either.


End file.
